Apparatus for controlling respiration.



E. V. GALIARDO. APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING RESPIRATION.

APPLICATION nuzn APR. 4. WW.

Patented Mar. 11,1919.

/ 3 14 we 1 fez kgwazy $3M" 5f oz/1424 35 M maintained on the lower jawto urge it ERNEST v. GALIARDO, or new YORK, n. Y.

- APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING RESPIRATION.

Specification of Letters latent.

PatentedMar. 11, 1919.

Application filed April 4, 1918. Serial N0. 226,580.

1 encourage natural breathing through the nose.

Many persons habitually breathe through their mouths, particularly whensleeping, so that the discharges of the nasal cavities accumulate in anunhealthful manner giving rise to or aggravating obstructive andinflammatory conditions such as catarrh, laryngitis, etc. By encouragingand making easy natural breathing through the nose the diseasedconditions are alleviated and cured and healthful habits of breathinginculcated. According to the apparatus ofthis invention a yieldingupward pressure is closed and the mouth is covered with a mask so thatthe wearer has a feeling of difficulty in breathing through the mouth.The yielding pressure, however, permits the mouth and lips to be openedand the mask is of permeable material to permit ready passage of thebreath so that there is only very slight actual resistance in breathingand the wearer may, therefore, by little efiort breathe as he wishes butwill be constantly encouraged to breathe through the nose.

To clear the nasal passages and further encourage natural breathingthrough the nose, there isheld in the path of the inhaled breath amedicinalcomposition emitting gases which, mingling with the breath,have a curative and clearing effect on the mucous membranes of the head.Breathing, therefore, progressively becomes easier and more natural andall sense of suffocation is avoided so that the cure is pleasant andeffective even in, the most stubborn cases of mouth breathing. Theimmediate and increasing relief felt with each inhaled breath encouragesthat continued use of the apparatus desired for ll" relief and makes itparticularly succe sful with many pagle against less gentle andpersuasive restraints.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is. a perspective view of one embodiment of apparatus adaptedto practise this invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the same, and

Fig. 3 is a side view of the same.

In the specific embodiment of the apparatus adapted to practise thisinvention as illustrated in the drawings 4 is .a mouth mask or chinpiece held'in place over the chin and mouth of the wearer by theretaining straps 5 and 6. These straps are preferably of yielding orelastic material and may be made adjustable to accommodate the device.to fit different wearers. The strip 5 passes over the top of the headof the wearer and the strip 6 around the back of the head and the twostrips are joined together at each end and to the mouth mask at points 7and 7 adjacent the'points of articulation of the lower jaw with thehead. The mask or chin piece 4: is formed of two pieces 8 and 9 ofdouble thickness sewed together and meeting at a central seam 10 andthey are so shaped as to give a fullness or bulge to fit snugly over themouth and chin of the wearer as shown. The material of the mask ispreferably permeable so as to readily permit the breath of the wearer topass therethrough without the collection of moisture and withoutsweating the chin. Additional openings maybe provided for the passage ofbreath in the form of eyelets 11 fastened in place in perforations overthe mouth as shown. 'The component of the pulls of the straps 5 and 6draws upwardly and rearwardly on the mask and exerts a gentle closingpresto open the mouth while maintaining per-= fect articulation betweenthejaw and the head. With this device 'there is' a constant tendency tolift the lower jaw and close the mouth while at the same time thecovering of the mouth gives the wearer a feeling that it will bediflicult to breathe through the mouth and encourages him to breathethrough the nose. The wearer is, therefore,

permitted to breathe as he wishes and this is particularly important inpermitting one to become gradually accustomed to the use of the deviceand to avoid all sense of suffocation and overpowering restraint.

In order to clear the nasal cavities and cure any diseased conditionsthat exist therein, the mask is preferably provided with the retainingpockets 12 just beneath the nostrils and adapted to hold cotton or othermaterial impregnated with medicinal compo -most stubborn cases isusually soon broken and the habit of breathing through the nose in anatural manner inculcated. The wearer of this device is not suddenlyforced into an unaccustomed manner of breathing, but is gently andgradually persuaded into more healthful habits. No conscious effort onthe part of the user is necessary at all and the cure is, therefore,particularly natural, pleasant and efi'ective.

The device is intended to be orn to'bed each night and each use'bf itwill cause the discharges of the nasal cavities to become loosened andeasily removable leaving the membranes in a clear and healthfulcondition so that continued use serves to cure diseased conditions andmaintain the passages healthful and free from obstruction.

The device shown and described is simple and durable and easily appliedand removed and the mouth mask may be readily displaced to temporarilyuncover the mouth without removing the device from the head as a whole.At the same time it maintains 'itself in proper position and permitsfree movements of the head, even when reclining as in bed, withoutshifting or disarrangement. .It is obvious that other apparatus may beused to practise the invention which i not confined to the particularembodiment I shown but is intended to cover such modifications thereofas come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I declare that what I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Apparatus for controlling respiration and teaching breathing throughthe nose comprising the combination of a mask adapted to press upward onthe lower jaw, head straps passing around the head of the wearer andadapted to exert a yielding upward pressure on said mask suflicient togently hold said lower jaw closed but permitting said jaw to be easilyopened when desired, retaining means carried bysaid mask for-positioninga medicinal substance in the path of the breath inhaled through the noseand a medicinal substance in said retaining mean adapted to clear theair passages through the nose and head and encourage breathingtherethrough.

2. Apparatus for controlling respiration and teaching breathing throughthe nose comprising a mask fitting over the chin of the wearer andadapted to press upward on the lower jaw, head straps passing around thehead of the wearer and adapted to exert a yielding upward pressure onsaid mask sufficient to gently hold said lower jaw closed but permittingsaid jaw to be easily opened when desired, and a permeable covering heldin place over the mouth of the wearer at all times to give a feeling of,difficulty in breathing through the mouth so that breathing through thenose is encouraged. a

3. A device for controlling breathing comprising a mask adapted to fitover'the mouth of the wearer and press upward on the lower jaw to holdthe mouth closed, said mask being made of permeable material permittingbreath topass therethrough, and holding straps drawing upwardly on saidmask adapted to pass arognd the head of the wearer, at least one of saidstraps being elastic to yield and permit the mouth to be opened.

ERNEST V. GALI'ARDO.

